Importance of Product Analysis

The heart of the marketing concept is the process of matching the features of the product and the benefits these features provide with the needs and desires of the consumer. This matching process is easier for a business because it can change its existing product. A new business can even develop a completely new product by first researching the needs and desires of its targeted consumers. Using the information from this research, the business can then develop and introduce into the marketplace a product that will have the features and benefits desired by the targeted consumer segment. For example, auto manufacturers designed and developed backseat DVD players in mini-vans as a direct result of research data on one of the benefits parents wanted in a vehicle: a way to keep children occupied on long road trips.

Of course the process of developing a city as a tourist destination starts differently. For tourism marketers, the product already exists. The architectural style of the buildings, the parks and scenery, the city's history, and the ethnic heritage of the residents are already in place. While these features can be enhanced, they cannot be fundamentally changed. Businesses have the advantage of being able to research consumers before developing a product. In contrast, tourism marketers first analyze their city's existing features and benefits and then find the potential tourists who will be interested in what the city already has to offer.

The process of marketing cities is further complicated by the...